The House has given its approval for allowing drivers to use mobile devices to show active policies.
The Legislature in Arkansas has just approved a new bill that will allow drivers within the state to use smartphones, tablets, and other types of mobile devices in order to display an electronic or digital version of their proof of auto insurance card.
The electronic copy will be considered completely acceptable in place of the traditional card.
The 91 to 0 unanimous vote among the lawmakers in the House passed a proposal backed by the Senate that is aimed at helping drivers who are legitimately covered by auto insurance to find it easier to find proof of that coverage at times when it is required. This means that their insurers can provide them with not only a paper copy of the card, but also a digital version that can be stored in or accessed by the mobile device. This proposal is now headed to Governor Mike Beebe.
This new form of proving that active auto insurance exists may help to reduce costs for drivers and the state.
With the electronic proof of auto insurance, drivers will be able to display their coverage cards on their devices at times such as registering a vehicle, when they have been involved in a collision, or even when they have been pulled over at a traffic stop. The digital copy will be considered to be just as valid as a proof of coverage as the paper copy that has been traditionally used until now.
The hope is that this will help to reduce the occurrence of having drivers with auto insurance that are unable to find a copy of their proof of coverage. It should reduce the number of fines that are issued for driving without a valid proof of a policy, and will therefore help to lower the number of instances in which drivers have to take time off work – losing money – in order to go to court to prove that they had coverage at the time – which costs money.
At the same time, it is important to point out that just because mobile devices can be used to display the auto insurance proof, it will not necessarily provide police or anyone else with permission to search the smartphone or tablet of the driver without having probable cause.
